UNITED NATIONS, September 17. /TASS/. Iran thanked Russia and China for their principled stance toward the Islamic Republic and for vetoing a US-drafted UN Security Council resolution to extend the mandate of the Panel of Experts on sanctions against Iran.

"Russia and China once again stood firmly in defense of the UN Charter, international law and the integrity of the Council, preventing yet another cynical attempt by the United States and its allies to abuse the Security Council for their political purposes," Iran's Permanent Mission to the UN said in a post on X. "Iran is deeply grateful to Russia and China for their consistent and principled position, as well as for their decisive action today."

Iranian diplomats also thanked Somalia and Pakistan, which abstained from voting on the US-drafted resolution.

Earlier on Thursday, Russia and China exercised their veto power in the UN Security Council, blocking a US draft resolution that sought to extend for one year, until September 2027, the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the 1737 Iran Sanctions Committee.